<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Methos Chronicles 14 by Helis_von_Askir</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792805">Methos Chronicles 14</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helis_von_Askir/pseuds/Helis_von_Askir'>Helis_von_Askir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Methos Chronicles [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Highlander - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:35:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helis_von_Askir/pseuds/Helis_von_Askir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories hurt, he wouldn't want to miss them, but they hurt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Methos Chronicles [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1350058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Methos Chronicles 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The TV was running but Methos wasn’t paying any attention to it. He just liked to have some background noise while writing in his journal. And though he still missed Murron, he found it nice to be alone again, at least for now. MacLeod was attending some business in London, Amanda had left for some other corner of the world as was her want and Joe was happily overseeing the expansion of his new bar, leaving Methos to his own devices for the week. It wouldn’t last but the old man was intending to enjoy it while it lasted.</p>
<p>Suddenly the TV was drawing his attention with the announcement of a documentary of new and exciting finds in the Himalaya region. They showed a quick succession of wooden figurines of animals and people before cutting back to commercials. Methos had always been joking at exhibitions that some of the old stuff could be his. In this case it happened to be true. He hadn’t thought any of his stuff form that time had survived.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mesopotamia, ca. 800 BC</p>
<p>The stumbling of his horse woke Methos from his sleep. Startling awake, he looked around for a moment not knowing where he was, not having meant to fall asleep on a moving horse. Then he remembered. He was heading east as far as he could got after leaving Silas in a nice little place far to the west. Of Kronos and Caspian there still was no sign. For Silas he had pretended to want to find them too, but in truth he had always led them in the other direction if he found any trace of them, or even a rumor. Silas, trusting Silas, had never questioned anything Methos had done or not done.</p>
<p>His plan to break them apart had worked flawlessly, and now he had to make sure to stay away from them, no matter how hard it was. And since Kronos had never liked the lands far to the east, therefore it was the place Methos had chosen for his retreat. It was so big and wide, it almost defied imagination.</p>
<p>Their time had been coming to an end for a while now, but neither of the other three had been willing to see or accept that. Methos had and that was why he had done what he had done. Besides, all that pillaging had grown stale and boring to him long ago. There simply was no challenge in it anymore. Even if they should find each other again, without him they wouldn’t last long. Either they would lose their heads or disperse again. Methos hoped for the later, he may have grown tired of them, but they were still his brothers.</p>
<p>Some distance away he could make out the might walls of Uruk. He would rest for a short while there before continuing. Kronos was far away but it was not wise to tempt his luck.</p>
<p>He would have far to go before he could be reasonable sure that Kronos would not find him by chance. The younger Immortal would not understand why Methos had to leave. For Kronos change was something that happened to others, for him the Horsemen were eternal.</p>
<p>With a sigh Methos reined the horse in and dismounted. Walking for a bit would do him good and keep him from falling asleep again. He needed to rest, he knew that but the sun was still up and he would use that time to cover more ground.</p>
<p>Once he had rested and restocked in Uruk he would head father east. There were huge lands there that the Horsemen had never entered, where he could lose himself in. Methos needed to disappear for at least two, maybe even three, centuries. After that even Kronos would give up. At one point he would probably have to start a rumor to two about his death to make sure Kronos wouldn’t start looking again.</p>
<p>Soon he joined a caravan of sorts that made its way slowly, almost leisurely, towards the city.</p>
<p>“What brings you to Uruk, traveler?” a well-fed merchant asked him suddenly. The man looked at him expectantly, obviously just striking up a conversation to pass the time until they reached the gate.</p>
<p>“Just passing through.” Methos replied shortly. He wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter.</p>
<p>“Where to?” the man asked, obviously not getting the hint or realizing that it would be better to leave the stranger alone.</p>
<p>“North,” Methos lied easily, the less anyone knew about him and where he was headed the better. Besides, it never hurt to lay a false trail or two.</p>
<p>“Ah, nothing much there.” The merchant said and turned back around to start a conversation with the man in front of him.</p>
<p>Methos was just glad he didn’t have to talk to him anymore. He was tired and he only wanted a bed for the night, everything else could wait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He headed east for weeks, than a bit north and then east again. He wanted to head into the mountains that separated the realms along the Yellow River from the strange lands to the south. They were high and massive and had a thousand nameless valleys where he could live in for a century without meeting anyone else. The people on both sides did not look nothing like him, which might make trouble, but he would head back to the west eventually again.</p>
<p>It was cold in the mountains especially when you were used to desert climates for so long as he was. But he traded some of his silver for another blanket and cloak and made do. It was many moons later that he came across a place that looked promising for wintering. A little plateau with caves on one side and a stream on the other. A day’s travel to the south was a small village that would provide anything he might need, if the people were willing to trade with him. That might take some time, but Methos could be patient.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One of the larger caves was uninhabited by any kind of animal and Methos decided to make his new home there. It had enough room to accommodate his horse too. Which would be necessary since winter was nearly at hand and he didn’t want to lose the animal.</p>
<p>Trees were plentiful enough for him to fashion a kind of screen he could put in front of the cave entrance to shield the interior from the worst of the weather. He also stockpiled as much as of it as he could in the back of the cave so he wouldn’t have to gather it during the winter. Heading out into the cold for fresh water and to relieve himself would be enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The winter was every bit as bad as Methos had expected it to be. Good thing he was immortal or he would not have made it. His horse looked more like a skeleton than an actual living being when spring finally arrived. He would have to sell it if it was to survive another winter.</p>
<p>But it was a sturdy beast and with the fresh grass it soon gained enough weight to be bartered in the village. The inhabitants did look suspicious at him when he first showed up there but when it became clear that he only wanted to be left alone, didn’t steal anything and didn’t make any kind of trouble, they warmed somewhat up to him.</p>
<p>Aside from his horse he didn’t have much to trade with. Therefore he mostly worked for additional food and some spare coins. His silver he kept for emergencies. And strong hard-working men were always in demand, even in a tiny village as this one. And after two years he was well enough accepted to move from his cave and live in a little hut at the edge of the village. After he had built the hut.</p>
<p>It was around that time that the young unmarried women of the village started to watch him openly. So far they had only giggled and run away when he looked back at them. And whispering among east other, like they did right now.</p>
<p>“You’ll have several offers to choose from before the summer it out, Nathan.” Bunabat, one of the village elders, said with a sympathetic hand on the Immortal’s shoulder. Methos had chosen the name Nathan because he had never used it before and he needed something other than Methos. They had just finished fixing the roof of Bunabat’s house and where washing away the dirt and sweat.</p>
<p>Methos shook his head. “Who would want to marry their daughter to a pale foreigner?”</p>
<p>Bunabat shrugged his bony shoulders. “You work hard and you work is always good. Many would welcome someone like that in their family, even if you do look a bit strange.”</p>
<p>Methos gave him a knowing look. “You have a granddaughter to wed, have you not?”</p>
<p>Bunabat laughed at him. “And smart, what more can a family want? Yes, Nunabat has been widowed for nearly two years. It’s time for her to have a new husband. Why not you?”</p>
<p>“You honor me, my friend. But there are men in this village more worthy than I for your granddaughter.” Methos pointed out.</p>
<p>“Ah, not true, you are all good man. But let us wait for the equinox. Then we’ll see who offers marriage to whom.” Bunabat was smart, Methos had to give him that. As in most places, men and women didn’t choose their mates, their families did. And since Methos had no family the village elder, in this case Bunabat, did choose for him. And if he wanted Methos to marry Nunabat then that was what was going to happen. Anyone disagreeing would come to see it his way eventually, Bunabat had a way of convincing people of his point of view.</p>
<p>And Methos had to admit that he liked the idea of having a wife again. Someone to share his bed with that had been so cold in the last years. Someone he didn’t have to share with his brothers.</p>
<p>Oh, he had had wives during the times he had been separate from the Horsemen, but never for long and never when he had returned to them. They were his secrets, his treasured secrets.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The equinox was a time of celebration. The harvest had been very good this year and they wouldn’t suffer hunger during the winter. And of course the young women would finally get husbands. Something most of them were eagerly awaiting.</p>
<p>Methos stood in the shadows of the council hall and watched the festivities. He had indeed been approached by several of the fathers if he was interested in their daughters. He had thanked them all but told them that of course Bunabat would make the decision, as it was right and proper. They had nodded in approval that he as a foreigner respected their laws so well and had gone to Bunabat to state their case.</p>
<p>Methos didn’t know what the shrewd old mortal had told them but no one seemed angry at him or something like that.</p>
<p>“Will you not come and sit by the fire with me?” Nunabat asked smiling, bringing him a new cup of wine.</p>
<p>“I thought we weren’t allowed to do that yet. Only after your grandfather announces the pairings to the whole village.” Methos replied as he took the cup. Nunabat stood very close to him and he was very aware of the heat of her body.</p>
<p>“True, but everyone knows who we are to marry already, I don’t think he would mind. Besides, he’ll start in only a few moments.” Nunabat pointed out.</p>
<p>“Then let us wait those few moments. I don’t wish to insult anyone with being too forward.” Methos said but gave her a smile that should tell her how much he enjoyed having her here next to him.</p>
<p>Nunabat smiled back. “Well, it’s only a few more moments.” And she stepped even closer to him.</p>
<p>And then Bunabat did announce half a dozen couples and they all came forward to be congratulated. The formalities done with the festivities started in earnest and no one saw a bed before sunrise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There wasn’t much of a ceremony. Basically the announcement was the wedding. And then of course the couples had to move in together. Methos’ house was deemed too small for the granddaughter of the village elder therefore he moved into the house her late husband had built with her. There was some work to be done, like a new roof and repairs to the barn where the livestock was being kept. Other than that it was fine.</p>
<p>The repairs were quickly made and after a couple of months they had fallen into a quiet routine. In the evenings Methos most often sat before the house in the last light and carved little figurine of animals or people. The children of the village loved them and always pestered him to make them more to play with them.</p>
<p>They even brought him wood so he didn’t have to look for it himself and had more time to make the figurines. Nunabat teased him that they didn’t need children of their own with all the little ones coming in and out of their house. Methos avoided the subject as he could not give her children. Though Bunabat had mentioned that it was possible that Nunabat was barren herself as her first husband had not given her any children either.</p>
<p>Methos had assured him that it didn’t matter to him and it didn’t. He had nothing against children bur for an Immortal they were a risk, and immortal parents were a danger to them. It was simply better to not mix these two. He had ignored that advice in the past often, sometimes it had worked well, despite his nature, most times it had not. And he would probably ignore that advice in the future too, despite it not working most of the time. Some children just had a way of worming themselves into your life without you even noticing.</p>
<p>The seasons passed quickly and before Methos knew it, a decade had passed and it was time to move on. But Methos was reluctant to go. He liked his life in the village, he was accepted. Of course they didn’t know about his immortality and if he stayed they soon would figure it out but he was still delaying his leaving. Until the gods took the matter into their own hands.</p>
<p>It started with Bunabat but since he was very old by then, Methos didn’t think much of it. Old people got sick and died, that was the way it was. But then others caught the fever too. And within weeks most of the village were sick. The wise woman was the next to die causing a slight panic among the villagers.</p>
<p>“You need to go, my love.” Nunabat said when Methos brought her some water, the fever had taken her appetite and she had refused any food for two days now. “Go and find help for us.”</p>
<p>Methos looked at her and it was clear that she knew truth. The village was dying. Methos was one of maybe half a dozen who were not yet sick.</p>
<p>“I won’t leave you. And I’ll be fine.” He promised. She didn’t believe him, of course not. Everyone got sick and they all died. Methos didn’t have the heart to explain it to her and simply kept taking care of her until the fever took her.</p>
<p>By that time he was the only one left not sick or dying and he stayed in the village until the last one of them had passed before packing his bags and leaving. He made sure everyone was properly buried, they had been very good to him, after all. His horse was also long dead, therefore he set out on foot. To find a new life somewhere else. Just like he always did. Again and again and again. But he wouldn’t forget them, not Nunabat, not the other villagers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He headed south over the mountains. The lands he reached after weeks of travel were rich and fertile, just the way he remembered them. The language had changed quite a bit but after a couple of wrong starts he managed to make himself understood well enough. Not staying long in any place at first, Methos one day came to a mighty river. The natives called it Ganges though Methos remembered it having a different name.</p>
<p>There were many settlements there and Methos considered heading west to the Indus River where he had once lived. But curiosity mad him follow the flow of the Ganges, he had never been so far to the east.</p>
<p>The gods of this land had changed somewhat too. Some he still recognized but most of the old ones had been abandoned and forgotten while new ones had taken their place.</p>
<p>Despite being set apart from the natives by the color of his skin, Methos managed to find employment with one of the local rulers who had a curiosity of other lands.</p>
<p>The town was called the Stronghold by its inhabitants because it had never been conquered since its creation. It was heavily fortified and could withstand a siege for many moons if need be. Methos could have taken it in a couple of days, truth be told, but then he had a lot of experience in destroying things.</p>
<p>“It what gods do you believe?” Nanak, the local priest, asked one day after he had been staying for nearly a full year at the Stronghold.</p>
<p>Methos had been inspecting his weapons when the bent old man had come out into the garden and sat wordlessly at Methos’ side. If he had hoped that his silent presence would prompt Methos to say anything he had been disappointed. Methos could outwait anyone. And he had no fondness of the priest. He had been one himself too many times to not know how power hungry and greedy most of them were.</p>
<p>“Are you going to answer, Stranger?” The priest wanted to know. “Or do you not understand my words?”</p>
<p>“In many, and none.” Methos replied after a moment.</p>
<p>“Interesting.” Nanak muttered. “How many gods are there?”</p>
<p>Methos chuckled. “Countless. Every valley, every town has their own. Not unlike here.”</p>
<p>“Ah, but here we pray to the real gods, not those false idols you obviously worship.” Nanak told him with a dangerous glint in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Whatever you say, priest.” Methos muttered. He should have seen this coming. Nanak was jealous of the attention his lord paid Methos and wanted him gone. And as a priest he had a powerful tool in his hands, religion.</p>
<p>Maybe it was time to move on. According to maps he had seen, this land reached far to the south. Nanak could keep his lord, Methos would take all the rest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was not difficult to slip out of the Stronghold during the night. The guards were lazy, sure in their knowledge that no one could overcome the walls. That someone would want to leave the Stronghold that way, forsake its safety, never even crossed their minds. They deserved to be forgotten for that alone.</p>
<p>He travelled south with no destination in mind. Mostly he followed one river or another. Sometimes he explored the deep forests covering the land. In this way he spent more than a year before he finally reached the sea.</p>
<p>There again did he come across a fortified settlement where he was welcomed. It seemed they had some dealings with other parts of the world and were more open to strangers. It was also there that he encountered another of his kind.</p>
<p>He was a tall man, with such dark skin that he had to come from south of Egypt. “I’m Kanan, I hope I will not have to fight you, friend.” He introduced himself.</p>
<p>“No, don’t worry, I have no interest in a fight just now. But tell me, friend Kanan, what brings you here so far from Kush?”</p>
<p>“Curiosity.” Kanan laughed, he had a big laugh, a very pleasant one. “There is so much to see, to learn. And my teacher threatened to kill me in various, most unpleasant, ways if I didn’t get goin.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like a nice person.” Methos muttered.</p>
<p>“Not really, but that’s Hera for you.” Kanan said good-naturally.</p>
<p>Methos laughed at that. Of course, he should have known. “Indeed, she suffers no fools.”</p>
<p>“You know her then?” Kanan wanted to know.</p>
<p>“We have met, yes. I’m Methos.” He gave Kanan his name, his real one, or as real as he considered it after all this time. He liked the tall guy and if Kronos found him because of it, so be it. He was tired of hiding.</p>
<p>“Methos, yes, she told me of you.” Kanan nodded like something suddenly made a lot more sense.</p>
<p>“Nothing too bad, I hope.” Methos said. Though if Kanan knew about his past misdeeds, like the Horsemen, he would probably not be so friendly for long.</p>
<p>“Only that you are a man that gets things done. That you helped her once when she needed it most. And only a fool would make you an enemy.” Kanan told him. “And some other, more private things.”</p>
<p>Methos smiled. Well, it seemed Hera had some fond memories of him. And their time together in Athens had been interesting. He hadn’t even minded being her slave, much. “Well, if you’re ever interested…” he offered. Kanan was good looking enough and if he had spent time with Hera he would know to please others in bed, as well as please himself. This could work out better than expected.</p>
<p>Kanan nodded. “I’m very interested but I think I should warn you. Sometimes I know things, the gods give me the knowledge whether I want it or not. And it’s not always pleasant for me or those around me when that happenes.”</p>
<p>“I think I might just take that risk.” Methos told him. He had met seers before, he knew how they could be, what risk they presented, to him, to themselves. He could deal with it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Methos stayed for many months, finding the place much to his liking. Kanan became a good friend and lover, though they often strayed from each other. Because many thought a night with a pale man like him was a blessing, especially for young women who were about to be wed.</p>
<p>Kanan found their believes hilarious but wisely kept his amusement hidden. And he did indeed know things, things he had no way of knowing but still he did. And now and then it even came in handy. Other times it was really annoying, especially when it came from an Immortal so much younger than him.</p>
<p>“Tell me about your brothers.” Kanan said one evening. They sat under the awning of the house they were staying at, watching the seasonal rain falling. Methos found the constant rain soothing, especially with that particular demand hanging in the air.</p>
<p>“Not my favorite topic.” Methos replied hesitantly. But he really didn’t want his friendship with Kanan ruined because of what he had done with the Horsemen. But then Kanan shouldn’t know about his brothers in the first place.</p>
<p>“No, I would assume not.” Was all Kanan stated patiently.</p>
<p>Methos sighed. “I’m not sure I can explain it. They are my brothers in all but birth. We lived together, we raided together. We took breaks from each other but we always found our way back together. It was a good life, for a very long time.”</p>
<p>“But it did not last.” Kanan looked genuinely interested.</p>
<p>“No, it did not. I broke them apart.” Methos chuckled humorlessly. “I destroyed my own family.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Kanan inquired.</p>
<p>Methos sighed again. “I’m not sure…No, that’s not true, I know why I did it. I did it to survive. Kronos became too obsessive, too possessive, he didn’t want either of us leaving for breaks anymore. He was afraid to let us out of his sight. I didn’t understand at first, but I know now why. He was afraid. The world was changing and he couldn’t, wouldn’t, deal with it. He thought if we just stayed together we could keep that change away. And I couldn’t bear that.” Oh, how good it felt to say all of that aloud.</p>
<p>“Such a strong man, and yet so afraid.” Kanan chuckled. “He was not the first, nor will he be the last.”</p>
<p>“No, he won’t be.” Methos drank from his wine cup. “That was a hard realization to accept. That he was so afraid of losing us, because for him there was nothing else, only the Horsemen. Maybe I should have left a lot sooner.”</p>
<p>Kanan gave him a knowing look. “Maybe you should, but the past cannot be changed. You did the best you could for your brothers, even if they won’t thank you for it.”</p>
<p>“Certainly not. Well, maybe Silas. He seemed happy the last time I saw him.” Methos mused.</p>
<p>Kanan patted his shoulder. “You are their brother, not their keeper. They must lead their own lives, for good or bad.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Present Day</p>
<p>He had not returned to the Himalayans for a long time. And though he liked India well enough, he only lived there sporadically. After all, life was so much easier when one could blend in. Europe and the Middle East had been the best part for him, and eventually the New World.</p>
<p>But nowadays things were different. Maybe he should head back, visit all the old places. Just to see what it looked like now. But then he dismissed the idea. There was nothing left, he reminded himself. Nothing but those little toys he had made for all these children to make them smile. It was enough to remember them as they were, not as they were today.</p>
<p>End</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>